Cleaner for tumblers for metal castings, buttons, and other articles.



M. A. DUNN.

CLEANER FOR TUMBLERS FOR METAL CASTINGS, BUTTONS, AND O IHER ARTICLES. APPLICATION man MAR-1,1916.

1,1 1,1 1 1. Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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EMICHAEL A. DUNN, or POUGHKEEPSIE, new YonK.

CLEANER non TUM'BLERS non METAL CASTINGS, BUTTONS, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application filed'March 1, 1916. Serial No. 81,367.

To all w ham it may concern Be it known that I, 'MIOHAEL A. DUNN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Cleaner (for Tumblers for Metal Castings,-Buttons, andOther Articles, of which the following is'a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to prevent accumulation of deposit of scale, grit, or other debris, in the separating chambers provided in tumblers of conventional form; to separate dust or light pulverulent matter from the deposit mentioned; to avoid the necessity inherent in tumblers of conventional construction for discontinuing the service thereof during periods when the debris has accumulated inthe separation chamber; and to maintainat all'times'a free circulation of air through the tumbler.

Drawings.Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a tumbler of conventional form, showing employed therewith a cleaner con- :structed and arranged in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2is a cross section taken as on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-section of'the dust-separating chamber employed-inthe present invention.

Descm'ption.As shown in the drawings, a tumbler of conventional form is provided with a cylindrical body'8. The bo'dy8 has fitted thereto and at both ends thereof, screens 9. As best shown in Fig.2 of the drawings, the screens .9 are provided with perforations 10, through which small-bits of scale, grit, or dust are carried from the portion of the body :where usually castings are bolted or held. The body 8 is furnished with a closure section or door 11, which when opened permits access to the interior of the body. The body 8 is :mounted in heads 12, each having a 'flange'lS, which inclosesthebodyS, as-seen bestin Fig. 11 of the drawings. Integrally formedwith the heads 12, are tubular shafts 14, which :have bearings in standards 2155. Through the shafts 14 and the body 8, air is continuously circulated, and in the direction shown by the arrows at in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Any suitable draft-impelling mechanism is employed-for this purpose. One of the shafts 14 opens into the dust-separating chamber 16. The dust-separating chamber has abolt- 'ber' 16.

ing flange 17, by which it is stationarily mounted on an adjacent standard 15. From the upper endof the chamber is extended a deliverypipelS. The .pipe 18 conveys dust- "laden air'to any suitable depository where,

if desired, the dust is separated from the air by any of the well-known .and approved methods of cleansing the air. At the lower end of the separating chamber 16, a trap door 19 closes the chamber and prevents the debris 20, which accumulates in the chamber, falling on the ground or floor while the jacentthe chamber 16. The receiving end of "the chute 23 is, as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings, raised above the delivery end thereof. "The delivery end of the said chute has a delivery opening 24; situated within the chamber 16.

It'will be understood that when installing or removing the cleanerfherein described, the bolts 25 are withdrawn from the flange 17, whenthe cylinder having the chamber 16 may be removed from service position, the chute 28being guided through the opening of the shaft 14;. If-necessary, the union 26 by which the pipe'18 is connected with the chamber 16, is released.

079c'r'atz'0n. hen the cleaner is installed as shown in the accompanying drawings, and as described above, the operation is as follows: The door "11 is removed or thrown back, as the case maybe, and the body 8 of the tumbler is suitably packed with castings to be cleaned. 'If'the cylinderis not loaded with the usual charge of stars, or other small bits of hardened metal, this is done prior to replacing-the door 1*1. The door '11 having been replaced, the tumbler is rotated by furnishing power'to thepulley 28, a belt 29 being employed tothis end. Air is now turned'on to produce a current through the hollow shafts 14:, the body 8 and chamber 16. Any suitable means for supplying this air is employed. The object is to remove the dust extracted from the castings by the stars, and to avoid the interior of the body 8 becoming fouled therewith. A further obj ect is to convey over the small particles of grit or scale, which are removed from the from the interior of the tumbler body 8, is

arrested by the walls of the head 12, and failing of suspension, drops to the bottom or outer edge of the head, where the same joins the screen 9. In time this fills, so that the perforations 10 in the screen 9 become clogged and the cleansing power of the current of air is dissipated or completely obstructed. When employing the present invention, however, the debris thus accumulated is carried by the rotation of the head 12 and body 8, above the receiving end of the chute 23, and in dropping, part of the debris falls into the said chute down which it is carried to the delivery opening 24, and from thence to the bottom of the chamber 16 torest on the door 19. -While the debris, is constantly accumulating, also the chute is constantly operating, with the net result that the accumulation in the bottom of the head 12 is minimized, if not totally obliterated. The dust held in suspension. by the current of air, passes, as in the conventional construction, through the shaft 14:, at the delivery end of the body of the tumbler, and from the chamber 16 to the delivery-pipe 18. The upward lift of the current of air inthe chamber'16 facilitates the separation from the current of air, of particles too heavy for natural suspension, which particles if carried over might clog the pipe 18. These particles are permitted, within the compass of the chamber 16, to settle until passing out of the direct influence of the current. of air, they fall to the bottom of the chamber 16, from whence they are removed whenever the load on the door 19 becomes sufiiciently great to open the said door or when the attendant operates the door with this purpose in view. At-the end of the operation', the door 11 is opened and the castings from which the scale and grit have been removed are withdrawn from the tumbler. When provided with a cleaner such as described, it is obvious that the body 8 may be operated continuously without requiring Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 03"

the removal of the head 12 to liberate the accumulation of debris therein. Claims: 7

L'A tumbler having a tubular end journal and an end chamber separated fromthe body of said tumbler by a screen; incomof debris'when' droppedfrom the upper side of said chamber when carried there bythe rotation of saidtumbler.

2. VA tumbler having a tubular end journal and a collecting chamberformed adjacent said journal; in combination with an inclined chute stationarily supported and extending into the adjacent collecting chamher, and adapted to receivethe debris carried by the rotation of said tumbler above the axis of the same; a receptacle for'said debris, said receptaclebeing in open communication with the collecting chamber through the journal, thechute "extending through but not closing said journal, and terminating within the receptacle, said receptacle .being adapted to separate the lighter from the heavier particles delivered from the tumbler. v 3. A tumbler having a tubular end jour- I nal; in combination with. a cleaner forremoving debris from said tumbler, said cleaner comprising a receptacle in open communication with saidjournal; means for discharging the solids collected insaid'receptacle, there being an air-delivery opening at the upper end of said receptacle; and an inclined chute rigidly mounted insaid receptacle and having a receiving end ex tending through said journal into the adjacent end of the tumbler in the path of debris accumulated in said end when carried tothe upper side by the rotation of said'tumbler,

Commissioner of Patents, 

